AHRC Calls For Unity In The Face Of Hatred: Dearborn Is An All-American City
The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) joins all peace-loving people in Dearborn, Michigan, and across the nation in condemning, in the strongest terms, the ongoing and persistent planned and organized smear campaigns against the city of Dearborn and its uniquely diverse demographic makeup. These desperate, hateful attacks are not isolated nor recent; they are part of a systematic plan serving narrow white supremacist and hateful political agendas. Such acts thrive only in a toxic political environment.
Dearborn, as a city and its Muslim faith community in particular, has long been subjected to these desperate and odious efforts that rely on imaginary fear factors—such as false claims that “Sharia Law” is the law of Dearborn. These unfounded claims are used to spread hatred, sow division, and provoke violent confrontations. These attempts have failed before, failed recently, and will fail again. The unity of the city and its residents as “One Dearborn for All” continues to challenge the false narratives peddled by haters and grievance-mongers.
Freedom of speech and assembly are fundamental constitutional rights. There is a right to protest, but all decent people of all backgrounds need to make it clear that they are not tolerating, endorsing, or celebrating hate speech or agitators. One of the most immoral antics of hateful protesters has been the burning of the Quran. This is not the first time Dearborn has had to confront such ignorance. More than ten years ago, Pastor Terry Jones announced and later carried out Quran burnings. All this is meant to aggravate and incite violence.
AHRC calls upon Dearborn residents to reject all forms of division. As to our words and deeds, the law is not the only consideration. Good citizenship makes us consider morality and common sense. Those who claim to be acting for the common good should not limit themselves to the bare minimum of legality. The values of decency, civility, and tolerance also guide democratic societies. The law is a minimal standard, and law-abiding does not necessarily equate good citizenship.
AHRC reaffirms Michigan State Representative Alabas Farhat’s call upon the state’s elected officials, leaders, governor, House, Senate, and congressional delegation to act swiftly in solidarity with Dearborn and its residents. Acts of hate are unacceptable and must be firmly rejected. The time has come for all to stand united against any effort that invites violence and harm against any community. Let us all take a public stand against hate.
AHRC understands that many in the Dearborn community are angered by the haters who travel to Dearborn to spew hatred and create chaos. However, it is essential not to be baited into confrontations. The haters want anger, hate, and violence, and videos that help them portray themselves as martyrs to fundraise out of the chaos, as some groups have done in the past. The smart strategy is to ignore the haters and let the government deal with them as the law provides. The authorities are responsible for maintaining law and order and have demonstrated their willingness and ability to keep the peace.
“Dearborn is a wonderful and thriving American city, under great leadership, a city that people of all backgrounds, including native and foreign-born, call home,” said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. “Dearborn's Arab and Muslim American community welcome fellow Americans to visit and enjoy what the city has to offer in terms of food and entertainment options,” added Hamad. “The haters have a caricature of the city that is totally detached from reality, a figment of their imagination,” concluded Hamad.